[intransitive,transitive]tinkle (something)to make a series of light high ringing sounds; to make something produce this soundA bell tinkled as the door opened.Water tinkled in the fountains.tinkling laughterHe tinkled the ice in his glass and took a sip.Word Originlate Middle English (also in the sense ‘tingle’): frequentative of obsolete tink‘to chink or clink’, of imitative origin.